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It’s devastating to be told that you or your loved one have a life altering, or life ending disease. Finding out this disease was caused by preventable workplace health and safety issues can be even more of a blow. Although Britain has some of the lowest instances of workplace illnesses, 1.1 million working people suffered…

What is it? Post-Concussional Syndrome (PCS) is the development of various symptoms including physical, psychological and emotional symptoms following a mild traumatic brain injury. It’s a complication of concussion. The exact cause isn’t known. PCS can occur whether or not the person loses consciousness in the original trauma, and the severity of the original injury…

What’s changed? In the autumn statement George Osbourne announced measures to ban injured persons in road traffic accidents from seeking damages for soft tissue injuries. At the same time the Conservative Government also indicated that personal injury cases with a value of less than £5,000 would be better dealt with by the injured person through…

In this article: What is asbestos? What are the health problems associated with asbestos exposure? How does asbestos cause these health problems? Have I been exposed? Where and how will I have been at risk of asbestos exposure? Are there other situations in which I might have been exposed to asbestos? What do I do…

The date for the three year period can start from date of “knowledge” of your disease or illness. That means you can make a claim against your employer years after you have stopped working. But as soon as the thought of a claim crosses your mind you should start to enquire. If you get any…

This case provides an enlightening illustration of the liability principles applicable when a driver uses their vehicle deliberately to inflict force on another person. The facts and the parties’ cases The incident in question occurred at around 1.45am on 15th August 201. There was an altercation between the claimant and the first defendant (an actor…

Speaking in the International Business Times, asbestos campaigner Michael Lees discusses how asbestos in schools is killing a frightening number of teachers. Michael found that since 1980, 291 teachers have died from mesothelioma, a number which has continually risen. Michael believes that asbestos related deaths in teachers in the UK is the highest in…

Sheffield based Solicitors ASD have reached a milestone in their fundraising work for The Children’s Hospital Charity by raising over £7,000 for the charity in the last six years. ASD have supported The Children’s Hospital Charity since 2009 through donations raised by fundraising efforts from the team and through clients making donations from compensation claims…

Writing in the Personal Injury Law Journal Bill Braithwaite QC, a barrister at Exchange Chambers, discussed what he thought were the major trends in personal injury law in 2014. We’ve picked out the key points from his review below and focused on how ASD provide this service to our clients. Advocacy Advocacy refers to…

By Ralph Clark, Specialist Industrial Disease Solicitor at ASD People suffering from mesothelioma received some good news last week when Work and Pensions Minister Lord Freud announced that payments made under the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme are to be increased. Under the amended Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme, victims’ compensation will rise from 80% to 100%…

Cenric Clement-Evans discusses the ongoing problem with asbestos in UK schools in an article featured on the APIL website. As a personal injury lawyer, my role is normally to try and help people piece back together their lives after suffering serious injury. Campaigning on the issue of asbestos in schools, though, gives me a rare…

Lucy Boyle discusses the new payment system for victims of asbestos. Since July 2014 The Diffuse Mesothelioma Payments Scheme has made payments to people suffering from mesothelioma. The Diffuse Mesothelioma Payments Scheme was created by the Mesothelioma Act 2014 and is detailed in the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme Regulations 2014 When the scheme was first…

Only a quarter of people who have suffered a personal injury are likely to claim, a new study has revealed. A poll by YouGov found the proportion of injury victims willing to claim had fallen since 2013, when it stood at 29%.Just over a third (35%) who had had an accident or illness, decided not…

Richard Meggitt and part of the Serious Injury Team at ASD assisted Mr T of Sheffield who was seriously injured following a road accident.The client suffered life changing injuries to his leg. Mr T was thrown from his motorbike when a motorist emerged from a traffic calming measure in Parson Cross, Sheffield. The motorist denied…

Most personal injury firms offer a ‘no win no fee’ scheme for their clients, but what does this actually mean and do all solicitors offer the same terms? ‘No win no fee’ simply means that if your claim is unsuccessful, you will not be charged. Some solicitors do ask their client to pay for…

Injured in a road traffic accident? Within a matter of hours you are likely to be referred by an insurer to a solicitor without even realising it. The solicitors are often owned by an insurer. Your claim will be dealt with by an unqualified claim handler who you will never see and may not be…

The first point of contact for an injured person should be a Solicitor. Sadly since the late 1990s many injury victims have been drawn in to contacting claims management companies. These unqualified claims handlers exist only to make money by selling the details of the injured person to a solicitor. Claims companies often mislead and…

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer which means information on the disease is not as readily available as other cancers. We take a look at some of myths and truths behind this devastating disease. Only people exposed to asbestos long-term are at risk from mesothelioma Myth It’s been proven that even a…

People making claims for compensation are not usually offered the facility of a face to face meeting with a qualified Solicitor. Many never meet their Lawyer! The majority of Solicitors simply send out confusing questionnaires for clients to complete and return. The claim is often dealt with by non-qualified staff. I do not regard…

Many people that I speak to believe that the value of a personal injury claim is fixed, and not dependent upon the Solicitor that is used. This is fundamentally wrong. The value of a claim is not fixed but is ultimately determined by the quality of the medical evidence obtained. The medical evidence is often…